


How Justine Ezarik Survived and Escaped Purgatory

by DaniCarli



Series: ETNuary Challenge [8]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Death, Determination, Different Survivors, ETNuary, Escape the Night Season 4, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Internal Conflict, Justine is a little more badass, Sad, Universe where Justine escapes the night, bond, how I wanted the season to go if Justine survived, some people die different deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22177543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniCarli/pseuds/DaniCarli
Summary: My take on if Justine not only won the death challenge but went on to escape the night
Series: ETNuary Challenge [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588867
Comments: 12
Kudos: 10





	How Justine Ezarik Survived and Escaped Purgatory

**Author's Note:**

> Day 8 of ETNuary: Justine Ezarik

In another world, it was _Justine Ezarik_ who won the Egyptian death challenge.

Determined to redeem herself, the Gambler-turned-Adventurer scrambled to assemble her pyramid, avoiding the dead and vengeful Pharaoh at all costs. Tana getting taken out of the game for ten seconds was what Justine needed to find her final piece and complete the pyramid. She did it, she won, she redeemed herself!

Of course, that meant Tana had to die. Despite Justine’s best efforts to save the much younger girl, protecting her from being killed by the Pharaoh, she soon realized she must betray Tana in order to claim the key. As someone who was betrayed herself so long ago, it broke Justine’s heart that she would have to do it to someone else, especially when they too were betrayed before. But it was Tana tearfully telling her to just do it and accepting her fate that Justine finally commanded the mummy to carry out the deed. She couldn’t watch as the nineteen-year-old Pin-Up Girl met her final end.

After claiming the jeweled key, Justine returned to the group, collapsing into Joey’s relieved arms. She mourned Tana, but was happy that she proved herself to the others.

Surviving the first death challenge motivated Justine to continue proving herself. She made sure she had enough coins to save herself from Garuda, and really stepped it up to help the Heaven group retrieve the blade. Luckily, she had enough coins to spare her from the next death challenge. Unfortunately, Tim, her fellow 1920s guest and the one who lead the mob in burying her alive, had fallen. In another life, she would have smiled at this, glad that justice was served; but after everything that has happened, she couldn’t help but feel bad for Tim. Even he didn’t deserve to have a brutal end like that. 

When the group opened the Chinese exhibit next, Justine wasn’t to thrilled with what came for the girls. Like Colleen, the Adventurer wasn't a fan of flaunting herself in order to be a potential bride to someone she doesn’t know, and she _certainly_ didn’t want anything to do with this rude Emperor. But marrying him meant immunity, so Justine knew she had to step it up as a potential suitor. 

She always thought herself as pretty, but _never_ beautiful. It came as a complete shock when the Emperor awarded her a charm for the Beauty part of the courtship. Justine couldn’t help but smile with pride.

But unfortunately, that was the only charm she won, for her best friend, Rosanna, won both in Etiquette and Conversation, earning the immunity and becoming betrothed to the Emperor. As much as Justine didn’t want to leave Rosanna alone with the guy, she had no choice and hoped she and the others would find a way to rescue her. On the bright side, the remaining girls made a pact to stick together and ensure that none of them got voted in so once again, Justine was safe. Alex and Destorm were the ones who ended up in the challenge. Rosanna eventually was rescued, but Destorm was not so lucky.

Things started to get more difficult when the Britannia exhibit was unlocked. Justine had trouble listening to the story and barely remembered any of it; because of that, she drank from one of the cursed goblets along with Gabbie, earning one of her Adventurer cards into the voting pile. Nevertheless, Justine pushed herself, avoiding the Black Knight, helping Merlin, solving the tarot cards despite the death trap in the Egyptian exhibit which gave her major anxiety. With Joey, Rosanna, and Bretman (whom she got close to as well) by her side, Justine knew they were going to be okay.

But when it came to voting, Justine panicked as there was already one vote against her. And it didn’t help that Joey went off with only Colleen to talked to, which Justine kind of felt hurt about, her paranoid mind assuming that Joey suddenly favored the Duchess over her. She pushed those thoughts out of her head and discussed who to vote for with Rosanna, Gabbie, Alex, and Bretman. 

The other four were contemplating voting Joey into the challenge, some thinking he needed to prove himself because it’s _his_ rescue mission and others thinking he is “king worthy” since the challenge turns the winner into a king and the term “king” usually refers to a male. 

But Justine _couldn’t_ vote for Joey. He’s her best friend, he even said this whole rescue mission was all for her. As much as he’s done some sketchy things and hurt several people in the four years he’s done these games, the Adventurer still loves him and won’t betray him like that, even if he is “king worthy.” She would be a horrible friend to do such a thing. But someone had to go in, so when it came time to vote, she went with the first name that came to her mind. 

Shocked gasps and sounds of confusion echoed the lounge as Colleen’s name was drawn, along with Gabbie. Colleen, rightfully so, was outraged, her face painted in familiar betrayal and hurt. Joey sat beside her, his mouth gaped open, fearing for Colleen as she and Gabbie exited. Justine felt very guilty and confessed to Joey that it was her that voted for Colleen and why she did it. As predicted, he was not happy with her, but he was more upset at the other three for voting for him. At least Joey knew Justine didn’t betray him.

Justine would later regret condemning Colleen as the group witnessed _both_ her and Gabbie get killed by the Black Knight. Even when Alex drank the tears, became king, and killed the knight, it still stung Justine knowing she has another set of blood on her hands, memories of Andrea Brooks and Tana Mongeau haunting her.

Blood would continue to get on Justine’s hands when she and Alex were voted into the Gorgon’s death challenge. Nikita, who arrived as a guardian angel along with MatPat, insisted that someone put Alex’s name into the pile and Alex, for some reason, kept saying “yes, go ahead, I got this!” So Justine and Rosanna voted for him. Justine didn’t know who voted for her, but she nonetheless feared for her life and prayed that MatPat would be able to save her as her partner. 

Justine realized just how strong her will to live was the moment Nikita tried to sabotage her by knocking down her tower. While Justine the Gambler would have freaked out and panicked, Justine the Adventurer was having _none_ of that; she was not that weak girl anymore! Something came over her and she retaliated, knocking down Alex’s tower, giving her and Matt the time to reassemble theirs and win. As Nikita was teleported away and Alex was killed by the Minotaur, Justine immediately regretted her actions, despite being happily reunited with Joey and Rosanna. With fours deaths (past and present) on her conscience and still not enough keys to escape, Justine was starting to feel defeat.

Things took a turn, however, in the Arabian exhibit. She would have been forced once again into the final death challenge were it not for Joey volunteering to take her place, saving her life in the process. While she felt terrible picking Bretman to die, as he was so young and it felt like Tana and Alex all over again, she owed Joey and once again couldn’t betray him. Thankfully, the Playboy was spared by Fatima and everyone made it out of there unscathed, although Matt’s magic ran out and he returned to the living world. Then, as if their good fortune couldn’t get any better, the genie they met earlier granted them the wish to bring one of their friends back to life. There were so many people to choose from, but there was one in particular Justine wanted to make things right for and pleaded their case to Joey who ended up making the final decision.

Alex was returned to them in very dramatic fashion, held at knifepoint by a female pirate, but nonetheless, Justine was happy to have him back, as were the others. She was able to apologize to him and the two made peace.

Since she loved pirates (even though these guys weren’t very nice), Justine really wanted to prove herself in the Caribbean exhibit. Of course, her attempts at being fearless got her arm stuck in a hole with the risk of the exhibit being gassed. She helped the others as best she could and when she was finally freed, she got a ring on her finger similar to the one on Alex’s. The group would later find out that those rings gave the Adventurer and the Aviator immunity from the death challenge where everyone who didn’t have rings must compete. It hit Justine right away that against Joey and Bretman, Rosanna had no chance and the Socialite seemed to feel the same way. Before the three left, the two best friends shared a heartfelt goodbye, sharing how much they loved each other. Justine’s worst fears came true when Rosanna didn’t return, leaving her heartbroken. But as much as she wanted to cry, the Adventurer had a new mission: to survive for the friends she lost, no matter what.

Things really came to a head in the Prehistoric exhibit where they met a caveman and tried to outrun a bunch of velociraptors while protecting an egg. After completing all their clues, the group had to once again vote. At this point, everyone had proven themselves and as much as Justine didn’t want to risk going into a third final death challenge, she agreed with the boys that it was fair to vote for themselves as they did in the Arabian exhibit.

Somehow by the grace of God, Justine’s name was not pulled, and neither was Joey's. However, Alex and Bretman were voted in and Justine felt horrible for them as Alex just came back from the dead and Bretman had proven himself more than anyone here; she had grown fond of both of the boys and didn’t want either to die. But she could only watch as the two battled it out in the dinosaur pool. 

It was a very close game as the boys were neck and neck. But Alex must have been so determined to not die again, as he barely managed to find all three of his body parts in the pool. He reluctantly read the chant, sealing Bretman’s fate. The Playboy’s screams as the raptors devoured him were unbearable and Justine looked away, her tears finally appearing for the first time since the 1920s. She cried the whole walk back to the lounge before drying her eyes, ready to get the final key and end this once and for all.

With only thirty minutes left before sunrise, the final three were betrayed by the Sorceress, encountered the Collector, faced monsters they dealt with in the past, and ran around the whole museum, trying to find emblems which will lead them to the Sword of All Legends which will defeat the Collector. With successful, yet clumsy, teamwork, the three were able to get the sword and Justine looked on proudly as Joey killed the Collector. With the final key, the trio unlocked the vault, obtained the Cosmic Sphere, then freed the souls of their other dead friends trapped in a jar. 

Finally, with the Cosmic Sphere in tow, Justine, Alex, and Joey created a portal to take them back to the world of the living. After being dead for three years, Justine was finally going home, alive and with a newfound confidence.

In another world, it was _Justine Ezarik_ who escaped the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, this is my take on how if Justine survived, by no means do you have to agree with it. I still hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
